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发现 (fā xiàn) — to discover, to find, to notice

Definition

发现 (fāxiàn) means to discover or find something — often something that wasn't obvious before. Unlike 找 ('to look for'), you don't search; you come across it. 比 知道 stronger: it implies a new finding, not just knowing a fact.

verb
to discoverto findto notice

Examples

  • 发现。
    Wǒ fā xiàn le yì jiā hǎo cān tīng.
    I discovered a good restaurant.
  • 发现。
    Yī shēng fā xiàn le yì zhǒng xīn yào.
    The doctor discovered a new medicine.
  • 发现。
    Wǒ men fā xiàn le wèn tí de dá àn.
    We found the answer to the problem.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

发fāappear
现xiànappear

Both 发 and 现 express something becoming visible, so together they mean to notice or discover.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 現; 现 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
見
見jiàn現
Same sound today

The traditional form 現 pairs 玉 (jade) with 見 as a sound part; the simplified 现 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 现 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 31000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsThinking & Cognition2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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